Special purpose tote bag with interrupted floor

ABSTRACT

This invention is a carrying article that includes a body having an inner layer and an outer layer defining cavity; an interrupted floor carried by the body allowing particulates of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; a bottom cover removably attached to the body having an open position allowing debris to fall through the floor and a closed position preventing debris from falling through the floor where the open position is configured to allow articles of a certain size to remain in the interior space while allowing particulate of a certain size to pass through the floor; and, a side pocket affixed to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tote bag which can be a special purpose bag, although not necessarily limited thereto; and as one illustrative example, that special purpose may be for beach going supplies and implements. The present invention relates to tote bags designed for use in recreational activities, including gardening where soil often becomes attached to tools, sporting games where gear to be transported becomes covered in sand and dirt, and at the beach where sand may accidentally enter the bag.

2) Description of Related Art

Tote bags are often used to transport and store dirt, sand and other particulate material covered items. This debris accumulates in all parts of the bag and due to known material physical properties, accumulates primarily in the bottom of such bags. The debris which accumulates both in the bottom of the bag and on a portion or portions of the contents themselves cannot be dislodged until all of the contents in the bag are removed, brushed off individually, put down on any available surface where they are vulnerable to attracting additional debris, moisture, contamination, breakage, or loss while the bag is turned upside down and shaken or hit to dislodge the trapped debris. Only then can the contents be returned to the interior of the tote bag with the hope that any debris has been sufficiently removed. Rinsing and air drying of the tote bag necessitates balancing the bag upside down on a drying rack type apparatus to prevent excess water from pooling in the bottom, thereby rendering hanging the bag by the handles to dry impractical and counter-productive.

It would be advantageous to have a tote bag with a detachable bottom which could be removed to allow the sand, dirt and any other particulate material or debris to fall out. However, removing the bottom of the bag would empty the bag of all of its contents along with the debris. Thus, it would be convenient to have a tote bag which allows rapid emptying of the bag of unwanted debris without having first to remove the contents of the bag. It would also be convenient to have a tote bag that can be washed or rinsed, hung to dry by the handles, and left open on both ends to facilitate airflow for quicker drying.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tote bag with interrupted floor and detachable bottom allowing debris to be removed from the interior of the tote bag without needing to remove its contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above objectives can be are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a carrying article comprising: a body having an inner layer and an outer layer defining cavity; an interrupted floor carried by the body allowing particulates of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; a bottom cover removably attached to the body having an open position allowing debris to fall through the floor and a closed position preventing debris from falling through the floor where the open position is configured to allow articles of a certain size to remain in the interior space while allowing particulate of a certain size to pass through the floor; and, a side pocket affixed to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity.

The invention can include a divider defining a first portion and a second portion disposed in the cavity wherein the second portion includes a partial interrupted floor. The interrupted floor can be a poly mesh material. The poly mesh material can be attached between the inner layer and the outer layer of the body. The bottom cover can be is removable attached to the body.

A handle can be attached to the body having a handle side extension extending. The side handles can be attached to the interrupted floor.

The bottom cover can be hingeably attached to the body. The bottom cover can be attached to the body at regular intervals allowing the bottom cover to maintain is form when attached to the body. The bottom cover can include side fasteners and front and back fasteners. For example, hook and loop fasteners can be disposed along intervals on the front, back and side panels and associated with hook and loop fasteners on the bottom cover. Magnets can be disposed along intervals on the front, back and side panels and associated with magnets on the bottom cover. Snaps can be disposed along intervals on the front, back and side panels and associated with snaps on the bottom cover.

A body aperture and a bottom cover aperture can be included in the body and bottom cover configured to affix the bottom cover to the body when the bottom cover is removed from the body. The bottom cover can include side walls that extend upward from a bottom panel of the bottom cover when the bottom cover is attached to the body. The interrupted floor can be attached to the bottom edge of the body and extend the length and width of the cavity.

A side pocket can be attached to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity. The side pocket can include a mesh center panel.

In one embodiment, a special purpose tote bag includes a vertical walled body with one or more handles, a interrupted floor, and a removable bottom cover. In one embodiment, the bottom of the carrying bag can have two parts. First, there can be a bottom or floor that is a poly mesh sheet, sewn in-between a lining and outer shell of the vertical walled body. The poly mesh sheet can extend or define an interior floor to the tote bag. The second part can include a cloth material forming a generally flat, reinforced, tray-like structure hereafter referred to as the bottom cover, disposed over the poly mesh sheet exterior to the tote bag. In one or more embodiment, hook and loop fasteners, magnets, and/or snaps can be used to attach the second part to the tote bag.

In operations, the wearer may suspend the bag by its handles while the bottom cover of the bag is detached from its fasteners with either one or both hands thereby separating the bottom cover from the outer shell to allow sand, dirt or other particulate material trapped inside the bag to flow through the poly mesh sheet and be expelled from the bag without removing the contents of the bag. A grommet or other aperture can be attached to the tote bag so that the cover may be attached to the vertical walled body with a ring, cord or carabineer style fastener to prevent loss of the cover during the expulsion of the particulate matter and while the bag is being cleaned and/or dried.

In one embodiment, the invention is a special purpose tote bag consisting of a body with vertical walls, one or more carry handles attached to the body of the bag and a two-part bottom. The tote bag can be a special purpose tote bag with a two-part bottom, including a poly mesh floor defining the bottom of the bag and sewn, heat sealed, or attached by any other conventional means in-between the lining and outer shell. The portion of the poly mesh floor can extend into the lining in an range of 3 cm to 6 cm in one embodiment. The present invention can also be directed to a special purpose tote bag with a two-part bottom wherein one part (cover) is a flat bottomed, reinforced fabric, tray like structure. The structure can be at least 3.5″ tall in one embodiment. The cover can be removably carried by the outer shell of the vertical walled body with hook and loop fastener and/or magnets and/or snaps or a combination thereof. A grommet or other aperture can be used to attach the cover using a ring, cord, carabineer or other such device to a corresponding grommet or aperture on the vertical walled body of the bag. The special purpose tote bag can be cleaned or rinsed off and hung by the handles with cover removed or attached in a storage position via a ring, cord, carabineer or other such device to a corresponding grommet or aperture on the body of the bag to allow air to circulate freely to condense drying time of the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the bag with the bottom cover attached;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention showing the bottom cover of the bag removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention showing the bottom cover removed and attached to the shell of the bag;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the invention showing the poly mesh sheet;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the invention showing the mesh sheet in-between the lining and the outer shell of the bag;

FIG. 6 is a top view of aspects of the invention; and,

FIG. 7 is a side view of aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter belongs. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are herein described.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention includes a body generally designated A, formed of a front wall 10, a body sidewall 12, bottom cover 16, and handles 20 a and 20 b. The handles can include a handle side extension 22 that is attached to a free end 24 of the handle and side panel 10 of the body and is disposed in the bottom cover. The bottom cover can be removably attached to the body. The handle side extension can be attached to a top hem wherein the hem can encircle the top of the body.

In one embodiment, the bottom cover can be attached at a point 28 allowing the bottom cover to hinge away from the body when partially removed from the body exposing an interrupted floor. A body aperture 30 can be defined in the body allow for a ring, cord, carabineer, or other type fastener to attach a portion of the bottom cover 18 to the body sidewall 12. In one embodiment, the bottom cover can include a distal end that can include an aperture that, when the bottom cover is partially removed from the body, allows the bottom cover to be affixed to the body using the body aperture to secure the bottom cover in a removed position. In one embodiment, the bottom cover can be completely removed from the body and the ring, cord, carabineer, or other type fastener can be used in cooperation with the body aperture and a bottom cover aperture 36 to secure the bottom cover to the body when the bottom cover is removed.

The bottom cover can include a bottom cover side wall 34 that extends upward from the a bottom panel of the bottom cover and overlaps a portion of the body. In one embodiment, the bottom cover can include bottom cover magnets 36 attached to or disposed internal to the bottom cover. The bottom cover magnets can cooperate with body magnets to secure the bottom cover the body.

Referring to FIG. 2, a body magnet 38 can be attached to or disposed within the body and cooperate with bottom cover magnets to secure the bottom cover the body. The body can include an interrupted floor 40 that allows debris and other particles, smaller than the openings in the interrupted floor, to escape the interior of the body. The interrupted floor can include a mesh arrangement defining openings 42 that define the interrupted floor of the body. The mesh can be attached to the bottom edge of the body and extend the length and width of the cavity. The edge of the handle side extension can be attached to the interrupted floor.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the interrupted floor can extend upward into the body disposed at area 44. The interrupted floor can be sandwiched between an outer layer 46 of the body and an inner layer 48 of the body. The body can define a cavity 50 that can include the interrupted floor. A side pocket 52 can include a mesh center panel 54 and be attached to the inner layer within the cavity at its side edges and bottom edge. The top edge can be open allowing articles to be placed in the side pocket so that debris, such as sand, can pass from the interior of the side pocket to the cavity and through the interrupted floor panel. The interrupted floor can extend between the side walls of the interior layer so that it extends the length and width of the cavity.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bottom cover 16 can include a bottom cover, bottom panel, and bottom cover side panels. The bottom cover side panels can extend upwards and overlap a lower portion of the body when the bottom cover is attached to the body. Fasteners such as bottom cover magnets 36 can be attached to the bottom cover and removably affix the bottom cover to the body. In one embodiment, bottom cover magnets can be disposed between a bottom cover outer layer and a bottom cover inner layer. The bottom cover bottom panel can be reinforced with multiple layers and include a non-slip surface on the exterior of the bottom cover bottom panel.

In one embodiment, the interpreted floor can be made from a poly mesh sheet having a plurality of openings and include a water resistance material. The edges of poly mesh sheet can be permanently affixed between outer layer and the inner layer of the body by heat sealing, stitching or any other conventional attachment means.

When the bottom cover is removed, particulate material, such as sand or dirt, can be emptied from the bag without removing the contents of the bag. The bottom cover can prevent particulate material from entering the cavity when the body is placed on a surface having particulates such as sand.

In one embodiment, the bottom cover can be affixed to one side of the tote at a first end and removably affixed to the tote at an opposite end. The cover can then be removed from the bottom exposing the poly mesh without completely detaching from the tote.

The interrupted floor can be configured as a grid defining openings large enough to permit particulate materials, such as sand and dirt, to pass through the mesh. However, the openings would not be large enough to permit other items within the bag to fall through the bottom.

The bottom cover can be made of cloth materials forming a generally flat bottom, can be reinforced, or can be a tray-like structure having a minimum of 3.5″ height, in one embodiment. Hook and loop fasteners, magnets and/or snaps can be provided for attaching the bottom cover to the outside of the body's side, in one embodiment. The bottom cover can be permanently affixed at one side so that the flexibility of the cover allows the cover to hinge away from the interrupted floor exposing the floor opening. In one embodiment, the bottom cover can be of a rigid construction to support the poly mesh floor.

While only a limited number of preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

In the disclosure of the invention, it is described at times with a particular reference to beach use, but this is for illustrative purposes only, and it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto. For example, the tote bag might be designed for fishermen's use, gardener's use, equestrian use, etc.

Referring to FIG. 6, the a divider 56 disposed in the cavity of the body. In one embodiment, the cavity can include a first portion 58 and a second portion 60. The first portion can include a solid floor 62. The second portion can include in interrupted floor 64 that does not extend the length and the width of the cavity. Each portion can include a side pocket. In one embodiment, multiple dividers can be included to define multiple portions within the cavity.

Referring to FIG. 7, the bottom cover 16 can be attached to the bottom panel at hinge 66 to the bottom panel under the divider so that when the bottom cover is attached to the body, as shown by 16′, the interrupted floor of the second portion is covered. The bottom cover can be moved away from the interrupted floor, as shown as 16″, allowing debris to exits the cavity. The bottom cover can include a fixed portion 68 that is affixed to the body and associated with the first portion so that while the fixed portion cannot be moved away from the body, the aesthetics of the body and bottom cover make the bottom cover appear to extend the length of the body. The end 70 of the detached portion of the bottom cover can be secured to the body with a fastener including hook and loop fasteners, magnets, and/or snaps.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can meet certain other objectives. Each objective may not apply equally, in all its respects, to every aspect of this invention. As such, the preceding objects can be viewed in the alternative with respect to any one aspect of this invention. These and other objects and features of the invention will become more fully apparent when the detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying figures and examples. However, it is to be understood that both the summary of the invention and the detailed description are of a preferred embodiment and not restrictive of the invention or other alternate embodiments of the invention. In particular, while the invention is described herein with reference to a number of specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that the description is illustrative of the invention and is not constructed as limiting of the invention. Various modifications and applications may occur to those who are skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as described by the appended claims. Likewise, other objects, features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from this summary and certain embodiments described below, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits, and advantages will be apparent from the above in conjunction with the accompanying examples, data, figures, and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, alone or with consideration of the references incorporated herein.

Unless specifically stated, terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific exemplary embodiments and methods thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art using the teachings disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A carrying article comprising: a body having an inner layer and an outer layer defining a cavity; an interrupted floor carried by the body allowing particulates of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; a bottom cover removably attached to the body having an open position allowing debris to fall through the floor and a closed position preventing debris entering the cavity through the interrupted floor wherein the open position is configured to allow articles of a certain size to remain in the interior space while allowing particulate of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; and, a side pocket affixed to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity.
 2. The article of claim 1 including a divider defining a first portion and a second portion disposed in the cavity wherein the second portion includes a partial interrupted floor.
 3. The article of claim 2 wherein a portion of the bottom cover is affixed to the body at regular intervals.
 4. The article of claim 1 wherein the floor is a poly mesh material.
 5. The article of claim 1 wherein the floor is a poly mesh material attached between the inner layer and the outer layer of the body.
 6. The article of claim 1 including a handle having a handle side extension.
 7. The article of claim 6 wherein the handle side extension is attached to the interrupted floor.
 8. The article of claim 1 wherein the bottom cover is hingeably attached to the body.
 9. The article of claim 1 including a body aperture and a bottom cover aperture configured to affix the bottom cover to the body when the bottom cover is removed from the body.
 10. The article of claim 1 wherein the bottom cover includes side walls that extend upward from a bottom panel of the bottom cover when the bottom cover is attached to the body.
 11. The article of claim 1 wherein the interrupted floor is attached to the bottom edge of the body and extend the length and width of the cavity.
 12. The article of claim 1 including a side pocket attached to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity.
 13. The article of claim 12 wherein the side pocket includes a mesh center panel.
 14. A carrying article comprising: a body; an interrupted floor carried by the body allowing particulates of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; and, a bottom cover removably attached to the body having an open position allowing debris to fall through the interrupted floor and a closed position preventing debris from entering the cavity wherein the open position is configured to allow articles of a certain size to remain in the interior space while allowing particulate of a certain size to pass through the floor.
 15. The article of claim 14 including a side pocket affixed to the inner layer of the body and disposed in the cavity.
 16. The article of claim 1 including a divider defining a first portion and a second portion disposed in the cavity wherein the second portion wherein includes the interrupted floor.
 17. The article of claim 14 including a hinge attached in the bottom cover to the body for hingably attaching the bottom cover to the body.
 18. A carrying article comprising: a body; an interrupted floor attached to the body allowing particulates of a certain size to pass through the interrupted floor; and, a bottom cover removably attached to the body having an open position allowing debris to fall through the floor and a closed position preventing debris from entering through the interrupted floor wherein the open position is configured to allow articles of a certain size to remain in the interior space while allowing particulate of a certain size to pass through the floor.
 19. The article of claim 1 including a divider defining a first portion and a second portion disposed in the cavity.
 20. The article of claim 19 wherein the second portion includes the interrupted floor. 